Method for leaching meat



June 4, 1940. w. w. BowERs METHOD FOR LEACHING MEAT Filed sept. 8. 1958 Patented June 4, 1940 METHOD FOR LEACHINGMEAT William W. Bowers,` Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Wilson & Co., Inc., a corporation of Delaware *Application September 8, 1938, Serial No. 229,001

7 Claims. (Cl. ca -107) l This invention relates to amethod of and apparatus for. leachingfrozen meat products.

d Prior to the present invention it was the custom inthe packing industry to leach or thaw l frozenl'meat" by spreading the meats on racks in a room with a relatively higher temperature than that of the product. (Sometimes the meat was placed in acuring cellar having a temperature of from 36 to 40 F.-it would take approximately 48 to 72 hours to thaw meat in this fashion; sometimes the meat was placed in `a leaching room inwhich the temperature was maintained atyabout 60 to 90 F.-it would take approximately 30 to 36 hours to thaw meat in this fashion.) Meat leached by this method had a high` bacteria count, becames-limy, and deteriorated in grade and quality from its original condition.

Another manner of leaching the frozen meat was to place the frozen meat in vats containing brine having atemperature in the range of 90 to 120 F. The meat was maintained in the vat order `to hasten the leaching operation a steam hose would be inserted into the vat to raise the temperature of the brine back `to the original temperature range, namely, 90 to 120 F. This `would cutthe leaching operation down to a periodof 24 to 30hours. 'I'he product was then placed in a curing room for 18 to 24 hours in order to secure a uniform temperature of between 36` to 40 throughout the meat.

` These processes had many disadvantages. The

length of time required was considerable, the high l temperature `involved contributed to bacterial spoilage in the outer portions of the meat,ipartic ularly view of the long time required for the treatment. The meat products became definitely poorer in quality. I-Iams particularly became soft, fflabby and. fless appetizing `in appearance.

The high temperaturefemployed` in the brine, coupled with the long period of operation, further contributed toward breakdown of the meat product due to the very considerable temperature difference between the brine and the interior of the meat.

In accordance `with the present invention a thawed meat product of considerably improved appearance having the original firmness and texture of the meat is produced in a much shorter length of time. Moreover, by at all times regulating the leaching operation to provide absolute uniformity, the meat products do not vary from day to day or even within the same batch. The new method likewise produces a more sanitary product, one which has a greater customer appeal and one which will bring a higher financial it) return.

An apparatusfor carrying out the method is illustrated in the drawing in which- Figure l represents somewhat diagrammatically an elevation of the leaching system and Figi i5 ure 2 is a plan view thereof.

'I'he apparatus comprises a plurality of leaching vats IIJ, `each of which is provided at the bottom with a ring II provided with numerous closely spaced perforations I2. 'I'he ring is con- 20 nected by the pipe I3 to themanifold I4 which d is supplied with brine by the pump I5` connected to the brine reservoir I6. Each tank is provided with an overflow 20, which is provided with a valve 2|, and discharges into the open trough 25 22 from which the overflow feeds by gravity back tothe reservoir I6. A drain plug is provided near the bottom of each vat. The brine reservoir is provided with a heating coil 3|, an outlet `32 and a thermostat 33, which controls by any 30 suitable means the amount of heat input into the heating coil.

The manifold I4 is graduated, being suitably, say, 2" in internal diameter at the maximum and 3A at the farther portions, for a series of 35 20 vats arranged 10 on each side of the reservoir. The size of the vats is of considerable importance. The preferred vats are about 240 gals.

` capacity, which will hold about `1,000 lbs. of meat.

If vats of considerably larger size are employed, much greater care must be exercised in procuring proper uniformity of leaching. In large tanks a plurality of overflows should be provided in order to maintain horizontal temprature uniformity. With a small` tank the use of one overflow even at the side of the vat does not `substantially interfere with the maintenance of portion of the tank whereas if it is too weak, it does not have the proper action in preventing bacterial growth.

The central reservoir should be large enough to provide an adequate supply of brine at the proper temperature. Normally, this should be 7 to 8 gals, per `minute for eachvat in the series. For 20 vats a central reservoir holding 1500 gals. has proved satisfactory.

In practice packers have their pickle or brinemaking department on an upper floor of rthe building, above the curing cellar, so that' the finished brine or pickle can be relayed to thc curing room by means of gravity. By utilizing this feature in connection with the leaching ,f operation herein described, a pipe leading from y the pickle or brine-making room is attached to the manifold, the valve is opened, and when the battery of vats have been half filled with brine 1 and the central reservoir has been completely v filled this valve is shut off, the meat is then added tothe vats half filled with brine, which then brings the brine level a little above the outflow pump I5 into the manifold I4 and thence downwardly into the vats and out through the perfo rations I2 in the ring I I. The brine at this temperature `rises upwardly around the meat i8, which practically lls 'the vats. In its passage thek meat is warmed andthe brine cooled, and the cooled brine then passes out the overflow 20 and returns throughlthetrough 22 to the reservoir.

y Ithas been discovered that the uniform distribution of theA brine throughout the tank is quite essential in producing proper leaching. of 'the meat. The introduction of the brine in a sing-le stream has not been found to produce satisfactory leaching.

The amount of brine pumped is suitably .'7. to 8 gals. per minute for a 240 gallon vat. .rate is decreased the thawing is slower, and if it is increased considerably the thawing is not accelerated to any particular deg-rea'while the meat lproduct; tends to become soft andV iabby.

It is 4preferred that the overflow be visually Icontrolled as Aby the valve `2I and the discharge into the, open trough .in order that Athe amount flowing through each tank may be equal lto that flowing through they other tanks. With the present system a workman can readily vgauge the proper amount by the size of the strearnand will regulate to vprocure a stream vof a Vgiven size. The presence of certain amounts of'p'aper and loose fat, which comes from hams during the leaching process, is likely to interfere with ordifnary leaching'systems for regulating' the overflow. The individual valves also provide means 'for varying the back pressure in each tankto makeup for any inequalities in opening sizes or vthe head vin vthe manifold I4.

Under the conditions hereinbefore set forth beef roundsor other frozen meat.

If the the meat, for example, hams, will be leached in a period of 20 to 24 hours. The meat product is removed from the batch when its internal temperature reaches 36 F. to 40 F. It may then be delivered to the curing cellar with its internal temperature quite uniform.

The iniiow pipes I3 are connected to the manifold I4 by a box union fitting I9 and thus can easily be disconnected and cleaned.

The ring II is' preferably a 1/2 internal diameter stainless steel pipe and the connections toit are likewise stainless steel. 1

V'The process is preferably used on pork products such as hams, shoulders and butts. It is also applicable to other meat products, however, such as frozen beef, mutton, or pork tongues, frozen The time required for leaching and thawing will vary with the size of the product, but will generally be withinthe range of 20 to 24 hours. i

The foregoing detailed description .has `been givenfor clearness of understanding only, andno unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

. I claim:

i. The method of leaching and thawing frozen meat which comprises immersing the frozen meat in av brinebath, :continuously removing brine from thevbath and supplyingfresh vbrine thereto ata relatively higher temperature, and circulating. the warme-r brine uniformly upwardly-about the .meat while maintaining substantially uniform horizontal temperature conditions in the bath.

2. The method as set forth in claim l, in which the temperatureof the warm brine is from 34 F.

to 50o F- y i A v 3. The. method asset forth` in claim 1, in which thetemperature ofthe warm brine is from 40 F. to 45 F. f

4. 'The method as set forthiin claiml, in which the Warmer brine is at a .temperature of approximately 40 F. to45F. and in whichit vis supplied ata ratesuflicient to maintain a telnperature `substantially in the range of 40 F. to 45 F. in the bath. v 5. The lmethod of leaching large quantitieszof frozen meat which comprises immersing the meat in a plurality of brine baths Aof relatively ksmall i,

bath of `relatively small isize, supplying brine thereto at a temperature betvveeni34 F, and 50 F. andat a rate -to rmaintain the temperature of the bath approximately in the same range, circulating the brine uniformly and :in a generally upward `direction about the meat, ,and removing excess brine from ythe bathfto. effect uniform leachingr of the meat whilev maintaining ac iirrn .meat product.

7. Ihe method as set-forth inclaim l, in which the meat isa frozen pork product.r

:WILLIAM W. BOWERS.

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